posted 03-30-2015 09:58 AM ET (US) I have a 1987 Sport 15. It spends 80-percent of its life out of the saltwater on the trailer in a garage. [It] has very poor bottom paint. The pervious owner caked on over the original paint and it is all flaking off, so [the existing bottom paint] needs to come off now. What bottom paint is best for a boat that spends most of its life on a trailer? It is hauled at the end of every day; if not, it only spends the weekend in the water. I use it about four days a week, hauling it every time.

I was considering ablative paints. My top two are Micron CSC and Pettit Hydrocoat. Give me some suggestions, preferably for the longest lasting paint for my application. I'd like to keep the bottom paint there just as an added barrier on the trailer against the gel coat. Thank you.

Eastport3338

posted 03-30-2015 10:39 AM ET (US)
When I restored my 1961 Eastport 16 I used Interlux 2000E barrier coat and and then applied Interlux VC performance Epoxy which is a hard coating designed for rack or trailer stored boats. I went with the white color to blend with the white gel coat. I am very pleased with the results.

jimh

posted 03-30-2015 12:00 PM ET (US)
EASTPORT--that sounds like a very good recommendation.

Jeff

posted 03-30-2015 12:41 PM ET (US)
IF the boat mostly lives on a trailer and the current paint is just flaking off, I would remove whats on there and wet sand the hull back so there is no bottom paint at all.

Or you can use peel-away or oven clean to remove most of whats left and reduce the amount of sanding.

Being a 15, this should be an easy job.

Ridge Runner

posted 03-31-2015 07:36 PM ET (US)
One of the other bottom paints that is a hybrid ablative and hard paint is Pettit's Vivid. I use this paint on my 170 Montauk, which spends most of its life on a trailer except about six weeks each summer in the saltwater of Charlotte Harbor, a very high-rate marine growth area for barnacles. This paint has worked very well for me. Pettit recommends priming the hull with their Protect 4100 epoxy coating.

posted 04-03-2015 09:03 AM ET (US)
Does the ablative bottom paint get ablated by the contact with the trailer bunks?

martyn1075

posted 04-03-2015 11:11 AM ET (US)
I would love to use the Pettit's vivid products, in particular the white and match it up best as possible but Canada won't allow the product into the country. Its been have as hazardous. Some odd chemical in there and the answer is NO! Really disappointing. I can buy it in in the USA and try to bring it over but if I get caught not good obviously.

martyn1075

posted 04-03-2015 11:13 AM ET (US)
I would love to use the Pettit's vivid products, in particular the white and match it up best as possible but Canada won't allow the product into the country. Its been marked as hazardous. Some odd chemical in there and the answer is NO! Really disappointing. I can buy it in in the USA and try to bring it over but if I get caught not good obviously.

Ridge Runner

posted 04-03-2015 04:29 PM ET (US)
"Does the ablative bottom paint get ablated by the contact with the trailer bunks?"

Yes, it does. I have used Micron CSC (great paint for boats kept in the water) on a trailed boat before the paint is very soft and wears fairly quickly if your launching and retrieving your boat often. The paint also comes off easily on your hands and clothes if you rub up against the hull. This was always a bit of a concern for me considering the paint is toxic.

posted 04-03-2015 04:40 PM ET (US)
VK, for your usage model, there's no need to have any bottom paint on there at all. Why not just remove what's on there, and see how it looks underneath?

If they did a decent job the bottom painting, they will have scuffed the gelcoat and put on a barrier coat. If that is the case, once you remove the bottom paint it will be dull. But since the existing paint is peeling, maybe they did a crummy job of the prep, and once you remove the old bottom paint, you can bring back the original gelcoat with some polishing. This will increase the value of your boat, and improve your mileage and top speed slightly.

If you can't bring the gelcoat back, then either doing the bottom paint properly (meaning scuff, barrier coat, bottom paint) or a 2-part epoxy like Awlgrip would be good. With your usage model, I would go for the latter - would bring the look back as close as possible to original, if done in the original color.

For bottom paint, if you go that way, the absolute last thing I would use would be an ablative paint. Those are designed for use in areas of heavy fouling, and are not durable when subjected to scuffing. You don't need the antifouling properties, and you'll wear the paint off in short order getting it off and on the trailer. At least some ablative paints are NOT certified for re-launching - so if you haul out, you must repaint. This is exactly the opposite of what you want.

If you decide to go with antifouling, for sure go with a hard finish paint that can stand up to relaunching. Paint company websites are good sources of information.

Good luck with it!

Tim

vettekid76

posted 04-10-2015 09:26 PM ET (US)
Okay, so hard paints are what I would be looking into, or no paint? i know for a fact the previous owner applied his paint OVER the (original?) paint, if thats the case, would simply removing the two layers of paint, scuffing and applying a HARD paint work or should I apply some sort of new gel coat after a light sanding then paint? I really like mindset of having bottom paint there, just in case. So with the mindset being Id like to have some sport of paint, what are the best hard paints out there, Petit Vivid? i'm not in a high fouling area, its moored right off the beach with slight currents and only stays stationary for nights maybe 2 or 3 days at a time.

so, best hard paints?

wjd

posted 04-13-2015 01:21 PM ET (US)
In my opinion, your best option would be to remove the existing bottom paint and restore the gelcoat. As mentioned, it shouldn't be too big a job. Given the description of your use you don't need bottom paint at all. I often leave my 17 Outrage in salt water for a week at a time and on occasion, have left it for up to three weeks. After three weeks, there is some green slime that begins to form but a good scrub removes it without too much trouble. There is a photo of the hull of my boat in the photo bucket referenced below. Even after three weeks of slime, it comes back clean with no staining at all. phttp://s96.photobucket.com/user/wdunlop1/embed/slideshow

vettekid76

posted 04-15-2015 09:20 AM ET (US)
Would I get roller marks from the trailer on the gelcoat with out any paint? right now its black so I can't tell if there are any marks.

tedious

posted 04-15-2015 09:57 AM ET (US)
The black rubber trailer rollers can occasionally leave a mark, but it's not a big deal. And if it bugs you, you can go to polyurethane rollers and eliminate the problem.

Regarding the painting, take it one step at a time:

1) remove the existing bottom paint. There are places that will come to your driveway and soda blast your boat - that's probably the easiest method.

2) See what condition the original gelcoat is in underneath the paint - post pictures or check back in here for more advice if you like.

3A) If the gelcoat is good, polish and / or wax, and you're done!

3B) If it isn't, then you need to decide on re-gelcoating, Awlgrip, or bottom paint.

Tim

Jefecinco

posted 04-15-2015 09:59 AM ET (US)
We use Hydrocoat on the 13 Sport. It is ablative but does not rub off easily. I applied two coats over old paint that was well sanded with three coats close to the waterline and where the trailer bunks rub. It is holding up well.

Butch

macfam

posted 04-16-2015 07:14 AM ET (US)
I like Butch's idea with Hydrocoat.Did you know that Hydrocoat ECO (water-based and copper-free) comes in WHITE? It can be tinted to match your hull!!!Hydrocoat ECO is the best anti-fouling paint I've ever used.I know you do not have that need for an extensive season, but the product is awesome and VERY easy to apply and clean-up being water based. And because it has NO COPPER, does not have the galvanic corrosion issues on exposed metals.........like your outboard!

SeeTom Clark's article (attached) regarding the tinting of Pettit Vivid (white), and do the same thing with Hydrocoat ECO, or stay with Pettit Vivid. It's not water-based, but solvent based, but also has no copper.http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/015309.html

vettekid76

posted 04-24-2015 01:22 PM ET (US)
i thought i did not want ablative because it spends so much time out of the water? also, is using fiberglass stripper a bad idea? i have some left from a corvette body I stripped and I found out it its not supposed to go though the gel coat under it. Ive decided I WANT bottom paint, because i'm going to get a dark navy blue color to accent some other things I have.so strip light sand paint. what kind of hard paint?

Jefecinco

posted 04-24-2015 05:10 PM ET (US)
Ablative bottom paint is intended for hulls that spend a considerable time out of the water. It is ideal for trailered boats that will be kept in a slip or on a mooring for several days from time to time but spends much of it;s time on the trailer.

Butch

vettekid76

posted 04-25-2015 01:10 AM ET (US)
So would I want Ablative paints, or Hard paints as the boat will be on and off the trailer about 3 times a week. will a hard paint crack & fade if left out of the water? My worry is the ablative paint wearing off where the trailer rollers are. I want the paint to last as long as possible, cost aside.

Jefecinco

posted 04-25-2015 10:28 AM ET (US)
Again, I recommend a good ablative such as Petit or West Marine Hydrocoat. I also recommend an extra coat or two where the hull slides on the trailer bunks. If you have carpet covered bunks the paint should not wear through quickly.

Keep your left over bottom paint in a well sealed container. If it becomes necessary to touch up the applied paint to wear areas it is an easy process, particularly on a 15 Sport.